Achieving a safe and effective data linkage system
Statistics producers should:
- Seek public input to major decisions about statistics & statistical research
- Use clear, consistent & meaningful language
- Be advocates for safe data use
- Produce keeping data safe statements using the Five Safes Framework
Government demonstrates its trustworthiness to share and link data through robust data safeguarding and clear public communication
- Maximise opportunities to identify the questions that society wants answered
- Ensure policy maker and external input to question setting process
- Enable more exploratory analysis, including the use of synthetic data
Data sharing and linkage help to answer society’s important questions
- Harmonise information governance frameworks
- Increase seniority of sign-off
- Develop risk assessment tools
- Be open and transparent about data shares
Data sharing decisions are ethical, timely, proportionate and transparent
- Design & monitor application processes with users
- Signpost users to other data sources of potential interest
Project proposal assessments are robust, efficient and transparent
- Improve data documentation
- Contribute to an admin data registry
- Use a common framework for documenting and assessing linkage process
- Ensure that statisticians are involved when new data systems are designed
- Ensure data users can provide feedback about data quality to data collectors, to help improve data at source
Data are documented adequately, quality assessed and continuously improved
- Recognise and address resource needs
- Work collectively to address infrastructure requirements
- Adopt creative solutions to reduce data outsourcing costs
- Use effective mechanisms to bring in external expertise
- Support the professional development of data access support staff
- Innovate and share practice around safe settings (especially virtual platforms)
Analysts have the skills and resources needed to carry out high-quality data linkage and analysis